International
Focus on Virat Kohli’s 100th Test as dominant India square off against Sri Lanka

Till the start of this week, the stands at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium in Mohali were to be silent for the first Test between India and Sri Lanka starting from Friday. But with now 50% crowd being allowed into the stadium, the sounds of cheers and claps from the fans will be heard when Virat Kohli takes the field for his 100th Test, becoming the 12th Indian and 71st cricketer to achieve the landmark.
Friday’s Test against Sri Lanka also marks Kohali’s first appearance in Tests since leaving the captaincy after India lost 2-1 to South Africa in January. Though his returns with the bat (no century since November 2019) have invited concern and criticism in equal measure, there is no questioning that Kohli has been the backbone for India’s batting for a very long time.
Though Kohli had a low-key Test debut in June 2011 against the West Indies in the backdrop of his stunning white-ball game, his desire to succeed and strive hard for excellence in the longest format of the game has resulted in him amassing 7962 runs in 99 matches at an average of 50.39, including seven double centuries. In his landmark Test, Kohli will be entering a new phase of his career: as the senior-most batter in the side with no demands of captaincy and chance to scale much greater peaks with a renewed mindset.
Kohli’s landmark 100th Test also marks the start of Rohit Sharma’s stint as the Test captain of India. The hosts haven’t been on the losing side in home Tests since the 2-1 defeat to England in 2012 and will be hoping to extend their streak against a visiting Sri Lanka side. Apart from keeping the winning juggernaut rolling against Sri Lanka, India will have one eye on gaining some crucial World Test Championship (WTC) points, In the race to the final. India are in fifth place while Sri Lanka are the early topper of the table.
The start of Kohli’s post-captaincy era in Tests also coincides with his successor Rohit Sharma starting his stint. After becoming a proven leader in white-ball matches for India with series wins over New Zealand, West Indies and Sri Lanka apart from five IPL titles with Mumbai Indians, Sharma’s latest challenge is to replicate the success in Test cricket. On the brink of embarking on a new challenge, Sharma was quick in acknowledging Kohli’s contribution as Test captain.
“I am looking forward to just winning games as much as possible and doing the right things with the right players in the squad. That is the whole point. As a Test team, at the moment, we stand in a very good position. If you look at the last five years of our Test cricket, the whole credit goes to Virat himself to get us going in this particular format. What he has done with the Test team over the years was brilliant to see. For me, honestly, I have to just take it forward from where he left. The team stands in a very good position.”
The series against Sri Lanka also marks the absence of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara in India’s middle-order. With Rahane and Pujara sent to Ranji Trophy for reclaiming form and rhythm, the series presents India an opportunity to the likes of Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari to claim the vacant spots in the middle-order. The trio had shown glimpses of their excellence in Test cricket and would look to show that in this Test too.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, come into the series against India on the back of a series win against the West Indies at home in 2021. But, after being blanked 3-0 in T20Is, comes the challenge to win a Test in the Indian conditions, which they are yet to achieve. But the motivation of playing in their 300th Test will spur them to do well.
They will be without the services of their star spinners Ramesh Mendis and Maheesh Theekshana. But the form of left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya, number three batter Pathum Nissanka and the skipper Dimuth Karunaratne will keep them in good spirits.
Karunaratne had confirmed that they will have seven batters with one spin and three seam options. Lahiru Thirimanne will open alongside Karunaratne with Nissanka at three and Niroshan Dickwella as the keeper.
Overall, with many entertaining subplots in the offing, expect India and Sri Lanka to play a more absorbing series with Kohli, Sharma and Indian batting order entering their respective new phases.
Squads:
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), KS Bharat, Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Saurabh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain).
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Dhananjaya De Silva, Charith Asalanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella (wicket-keeper), Lasith Embuldeniya, Vishwa Fernando, Praveen Jayawickrama, Lahiru Kumara, Suranga Lakmal, Angelo Mathews, Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Thirimanne and Jeffrey Vandersay.
International
Champions Trophy: Pakistan’s dismal show likely to be discussed in cabinet and parliament

Islamabad, Feb 27: The Pakistan cricket team’s depressing, dismal, and cheerless performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, resulting in its early exit from the tournament, has not only broken the hearts of home fans but also knocked on the doors of the country’s Prime Minister.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has personally taken notice of the team’s early departure and the below-par performance and is likely to take up the issues related to the cricket team in the cabinet and the parliament. Pakistan’s final Group A fixture against Bangladesh was washed out in Rawalpindi due to rain on Thursday, which meant that they ended their campaign without a win. With only one point, thanks to a washout, Pakistan will finish at the bottom of the group.
Prime Minister’s aide on Political and Public Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, has said that PM Shehbaz will also take up the matter at the parliament. “The Prime Minister will personally take notice, and we will also ask him to raise these cricket-related issues in the cabinet as well as in the parliament,” said Rana Sanaullah.
It is pertinent to note that Pakistan is hosting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Special arrangements have been made to glorify the event, with Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi cricket stadiums renovated to increase audience capacity and further enhance the facilities. However, the team’s fans were left dejected after Pakistan lost both its matches and was knocked out of the tournament when their final league match with Bangladesh was rained off.
While anger persists among cricket fans, questions are being raised over the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), its chief Mohsin Naqvi, and the selection committee, which selected the squad. Aqib Javed, head coach of Pakistan, has tried to justify the team selection, stating that all players were selected on the basis of their recent performances.
On the other hand, internal issues within the PCB are also being linked with the team’s bad performance as many believe that the cricket board’s decision-making regarding playing eleven, the team, and the players has prompted foreign coaches like Jason Gillespie to part ways.
Rana Sanaullah said that he will also call on PM Sharif to address the ongoing issues within the PCB, emphasising that the cricket sport as a whole is in bad shape. “The sport at college and district levels is in a bad position, and the amount that has been spent on a professional level should be revealed before the public”, said Rana Sanaullah.
Rana Sanaullah also raised concerns over amounts being paid to mentors, who he highlighted admitted that they were unaware of their responsibilities and were being remunerated for doing nothing. “You will be surprised after hearing about the perks and privileges of other officer-bearers. You will be confused whether they are officials of a Pakistani institution or those belonging to a developed nation”, he said.
It would not be wrong to say that Pakistan’s performance on home grounds has certainly left fans heartbroken. In major ICC events, Pakistan’s performance in the past years has also not been mentionable.
In 2023, Pakistan only won four out of nine matches during the ODI World Cup in India and ended in fifth position on the points table. Pakistan also made an early exit from last year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA after losing to India and the USA in the preliminary stage.
International
Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan’s Cricket Stadiums Far From Ready, Tournament Could Be Moved To Dubai, Claims Report

Problems seem to be mounting for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as they face a race against time to handover a proper stadium to the International Cricket Council (ICC) before the Champions Trophy gets underway. According to The Times Of India report, the construction and upgradation work is still underway at the National Stadium in Karachi, Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore and the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
A source following the developments said,”It is a very disappointing picture. All three stadiums are far from ready and it’s not renovation or refurbishment, but proper construction which is underway. There is so much work left with seats, floodlights, facilities and even the outfield and playing surfaces,”
The report further states there is not much time left for the venues to be handed over and it’s not a surprise that there are discussions about moving the entire tournament to the UAE.
The PCB has to hand over the tournament venues to ICC by February 12, however, the stadium work which was scheduled to be finished by December 31, is yet to be completed.
A team of from the ICC will leave for Pakistan towards the end of the week to do a status check and informal contingency discussions are underway in Dubai corridors.
What is the Current stadium of Champions Trophy venues?
Lahore and Karachi are the two centres where heavy construction work is underway and their multi-storied enclosures, which will have dressing rooms and hospitality boxes, are yet to enter the finishing stages. In addition to the new enclosures, there is fencing work, placement of floodlights and seats which is far from the finish line.
The source added, “The weather is not ideal for construction and finishing work to happen at a rapid pace. At Gadaffi, even the plaster work isn’t completed yet. And most of the time is taken by finishing work because we are talking about dressing rooms etc. They just can’t be random rooms/enclosures for an ICC event. ICC has a checklist which needs to be met. National Stadium has decided to not completely finish the new enclosure because there is no time,”
International
AFC Asian Cup 2027 to take place in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar from Jan 7 to Feb 5

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 7: The AFC Asian Cup 2027 will take place from January 7 to February 5 across three cities – Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar – in Saudi Arabia, the AFC announced on Tuesday.
A total of five stadiums in Riyadh will host the tournament’s matches; the King Fahd Sports City Stadium, the King Saud University Stadium, Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium, Kingdom Arena and the Al Shabab Stadium.
Two stadiums have been confirmed for Jeddah – King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium – with a new state-of-the-art venue to be built in Al Khobar, completing the world-class infrastructure set to provide the backdrop for Asia’s top 24 national teams.
Saudi Arabia was announced as the host nation for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in 2023. This will be the first time Suadi Arabia will host the tournament.
“Confirming the dates and selecting the stadiums for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ is a strategic milestone in our journey to host the tournament. This announcement goes beyond simply identifying locations and schedules; it reflects the ongoing high-level collaboration between us and the AFC as we work towards delivering an exceptional tournament that fulfills the aspirations of the entire Asian continent,” Saudi Arabian Football Federation chief Yasser Al Misehal.
Eighteen teams have already sealed their places at the AFC Asian Cup 2027. The remaining berths will be decided via the Qualifiers Final Round, which is scheduled to commence from March 2025 and features six groups of four teams – confirmed at last month’s draw – with the winners of each group making up the final cast.
India, aiming for its fifth appearance at the AFC Asian Cup, has been placed in Group C alongside Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh. The team will look to replicate or surpass its 2019 performance, where it showcased significant progress on the continental stage.
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